Smart render design tool and method
A smart render design tool includes: (a) a designer side plug-in enabling a designer to generate credentials for a client and associate the credentials with a model for the client, add one or more camera views to the model, select one or more surfaces in the one or more camera views to add in the model, specify one or more materials for each surface of the one or more surfaces of the model, and publish the model including the specified materials for the one or more surfaces of the model; and (b) a client side portal associated with the credentials and the model enabling the client to access the published model using the generated credentials, select desired materials from among the materials specified by the designer for each surface of the published model, and save the desired materials selections of the client for review by the designer using a synchronization function of the designer side plug-in.
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A smart render design tool and method described herein is a technological mechanism that provides temporary use of web-based computer software for displaying a digital image of a three-dimensional digital model, and more particularly, allows for the selection of a physical asset, material, or item displayed in the digital image which results in the display of physical, analytical, and identity data related to the selected physical asset, material, or item.
BACKGROUNDThe current state of the art for a building design process between clients and designers with regard to material choices for various surfaces and other elements or items in the building typically involves the designer and client going back and forth between different options either in person, via telephone or email, or via videoconference, with new image renderings needing to be generated each time any material selections change. The parties can exchange and view various different lists, photos, and/or samples associated with available materials from which the client can choose. Some existing computerized building design applications may provide generic click through design options in a made-up room or hypothetical building environment (which feels more like a game interaction, as opposed to a real-world selection and imaging process).
However, the currently used processes and systems for building designs are inefficient, time consuming, and inconvenient. The number of options available to customers can often seem overwhelming, and any change orders along the design process can be costly. Existing building design solutions lack the ability for the customer to quickly and conveniently make design choices in a fully customized manner based on their needs, budgets, personal preferences, and the like. Instead of simulated renderings with hypothetical building materials, it would be desirable to provide simulated renderings of custom curated materials that are readily available from the manufacturer or supplier. Known technological solutions also do not allow for the designer to calculate, and for the client to quickly and easily understand, the cost consequences of different materials selections and combinations thereof. Therefore, there is a need for an online design tool that overcomes these deficiencies in existing in-person and computerized building design solutions, by enabling designers and clients to share and lock-in unique design materials selections in which digital models of the client's actual building environment are updated “live” (e.g., immediately, near real-time) to reflect designer-selected and/or client-selected options, in order to allow the client to feel more connected with their choices and increase both customer and designer satisfaction with the building design process overall. Such a solution should also be effective to decrease material ordering errors. Other disadvantages exist.
SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSUREA smart render design tool and method described herein addresses at least some of the deficiencies with existing building design technologies described above.
Example embodiments provide a smart render design tool including a designer side plug-in including computer-executable instructions configured to enable a designer to generate credentials for a client and associate the credentials with a model for the client, add one or more camera views to the model, select one or more surfaces in the one or more camera views to add in the model, specify one or more materials for each surface of the one or more surfaces of the model, and publish the model including the selected materials for the one or more surfaces of the model. The smart render design tool further includes a client side portal associated with the credentials and the model, including computer-executable instructions configured to enable the client to access the published model using the generated credentials, select desired materials from among the materials specified by the designer for each surface of the published model, and save the desired materials selections of the client for review by the designer via a synchronization function of the designer side plug-in.
According to some aspects, the one or more camera views are selected from among a plurality of created 3D camera views corresponding to different areas of the model.
According to some aspects, the one or more surfaces are selected from among a plurality of surfaces in the model including walls, floors, countertops, cabinets or combinations thereof, and the one or more materials for each surface are selected from among a plurality of available materials including different paint colors, tile, stone, wood, laminate, finishes, textures, patterns or combinations thereof.
According to some aspects, the client side portal is further configured to notify the designer that the client has saved the desired material selections via a pop-up notification in the designer side plug-in, an email message, a text (SMS) message or combinations thereof.
According to some aspects, the designer side plug-in is further configured to enable the designer to synchronize client-selected materials in the model based on the desired materials selections saved by the client, and display updated camera views of the client-selected materials in the model.
According to some aspects, the designer side plug-in is further configured to display identity data including updated calculated values for dimensions and costs associated with the desired materials selections saved by the client for the surfaces of the model for review by the designer.
According to some aspects, the designer side plug-in is further configured to generate and display a shopping list, including quantities, itemized prices, total prices or combinations thereof for respective materials, based on the updated calculated values for the dimensions and costs associated with the desired materials selections for the surfaces of the model.
According to some aspects, the designer side plug-in is further configured to enable the designer to edit the one or more surfaces of the model by adding new surfaces, removing existing surfaces, or changing the selected materials for the one or more surfaces.
According to some aspects, the designer side plug-in is implemented via a software add-in to an architectural design program that is stored in a memory and executed by a processor of a computer of the designer.
According to some aspects, the client side portal is implemented via a web-based program hosted on a website that is accessed by the client using a web browser on a computer or other electronic device of the client.
Example embodiments also provide a method implemented via a smart render design tool including generating credentials for a client and associating the credentials with a model for the client, adding one or more camera views to the model, selecting one or more surfaces in the one or more camera views to add in the model, specifying one or more materials for each surface of the one or more surfaces of the model, publishing the model including the selected materials for the one or more surfaces of the model, providing the client with access to the published model using the generated credentials, enabling the client to select desired materials from among the materials specified by the designer for each surface of the published model, and enabling the client to save the desired materials selections of the client for review by the designer via a synchronization function.
According to some aspects, the method further includes notifying the designer that the client has saved the desired material selections via a pop-up notification, an email message, a text (SMS) message or combinations thereof.
According to some aspects, the method further includes synchronizing client-selected materials in the model based on the desired materials selections saved by the client, and displaying updated camera views of the client-selected materials in the model.
According to some aspects, the method further includes displaying identity data including updated calculated dimensions and costs associated with the desired materials selections saved by the client for the surfaces of the model for review by the designer.
According to some aspects, generating and displaying a shopping list, including quantities, itemized prices, total prices or combinations thereof for respective materials, based on the updated calculated values for the dimensions and costs associated with the desired materials selections for the surfaces of the model.
According to some aspects, the method further includes editing the one or more surfaces of the model by adding new surfaces, removing existing surfaces, or changing the selected materials for the one or more surfaces.
Other objects and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein is set forth by way of illustration and example, embodiments of this disclosure.
The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of this disclosure, and the manner of attaining them, will become apparent and be better understood by reference to the following description of the disclosure in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
Generally, the systems and methods described herein may be implemented in hardware, software, and/or a combination thereof, and functionality may be distributed across a variety of computing devices. The present disclosure provides a computer-implemented method programmed for execution in a computing environment.
With additional reference to
With reference to
Next, one or more 3D camera view(s) will be created and added to the model, as described below with reference with
After all desired camera view(s) are added to the model, the designer can then select surfaces to the model, and add corresponding materials in association with the selected surfaces, respectively, as described further below with reference to
Referring to
The currently existing way to apply specific materials in the design software program 101 (e.g., REVIT or similar alternative) is cumbersome. For example, it can take several “clicks” (e.g., up to nine or more, generally) through a number of different dialog windows to create, duplicate, or change a material in the design software program 101. The designer side plug-in 100 of the smart render design tool provides a convenient way to navigate and select materials using the search field 124 and, as a result of a keyword search, displaying a list of check boxes 125 with associated materials 126 corresponding to the keyword(s), for example, as shown in
A library of available materials 126 may be stored in a database. For example, a snapshot of tile in a tile shop can be used to create a custom material in the design software program 101 and displayed along with pricing in a designer side GUI screen of the designer side plug-in 100. The client can send the designer inspiration photos that can be used in selecting materials for corresponding surfaces. Each of the materials 126 may have certain attributes associated with respective identifiers and/or identity data (e.g., refer to
In some example embodiments, the identifiers and/or identity data associated with selected surfaces 121 and corresponding materials 126 (e.g., dimensions/area/sq. ft. required and costs for required quantities of materials) can be used to generate a “shopping list” of client-selected materials, including quantities or square feet and per unit and/or total prices for the client's desired selections. The shopping list function will be further described below with reference to
Referring again to
When the model is published, the client can now be provided with access to the published model, as described below with reference to
Once the client has progressed through the instruction screens 201a-201d of
Referring to the client side GUI screen of
Referring to the client side GUI screen of
Referring to the client side GUI screen of
Referring to the client side GUI screen of
Referring the client side GUI screen of
Referring to the client side GUI screen of
As shown in the client side GUI screen of
Referring to the client side GUI screen of
Referring to the client side GUI screen of
The examples described above with reference to
In some example embodiments, the client side GUI screen of the client side web-based portal 200 may also include a “Shopping Cart” button 206 (upper right corner of GUI in
After the client has selected surfaces 221 and saved their desired materials 226 selections for the selected surfaces 221 as described above with reference to
Referring again to
Next, example methods for using the smart render design tool from the designer side and the client side, respectively, will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in
Next, referring to
At step S2240, it is determined whether there are any additional surface(s) 221 to select in the published model with corresponding materials 226 selections to be made. If there are additional surface(s) 221 (and/or corresponding material(s) 226) to select in connection with the published model (“Yes” at step S2240), then the method 2300 can loop back and repeat step S2220 to select additional surface(s) 221 and step S2230 to select additional corresponding material(s) 226. If there are no further surface(s) 221 and/or corresponding material(s) 226 to select in the published model (“No” at step S2240), then the method 2200 can proceed to step S2250. At step S2250, the method 2200 includes saving desired materials selections of the client for the respective surfaces in association with the published model, as described above with reference to
At this point, the process may revert back to S2170 of
However, in some example embodiments, the method 2200 may also include displaying various identity data, quantity data and/or price data associated with the client's materials selections for the respective surfaces, at step S2260. For example, the client may click on the “Shopping Cart” button 206 at any point in the process to view a shopping list 206a associated with their current materials 226 selections for the surfaces 221 of the published model, as described above with reference to
Optionally, method 2200 may also include sending a notification (e.g., pop-up, push, email, SMS/text, etc.) to the designer's electronic device indicating that the client has made and saved their desired materials selections 226 for the selected surfaces 221, at step S2270.
Referring again to method 2100 of
At step S2180, once the surfaces 121 and materials 126 of the designer side model are synchronized with the surfaces 221 and materials 226 of the client side model, the method may include displaying various identity data associated with the client's materials selections for the respective surfaces. In some example embodiments, this may include displaying dimensions (e.g., area in sq. ft.) of surfaces and costs of corresponding materials, referring to
Thus, the smart render design tool according to example embodiments described above improves the process of clients choosing materials for their building designs, and builders/designers being able to see the client's selections on their end (e.g., to quickly and accurately update orders). The system and methods described above go beyond simple superficial updates (e.g., changing a finish or color) by allowing designers and clients to swap out different materials with a model-based update for each material change. By selecting the options that are available to the customer in a quantifiable manner (e.g., considering product availability, varied budgets for each client, different personal tastes of each client, etc.), the smart render design tool provides an automated way to assist designers and clients to come to decisions on customized design choices in near real-time. The smart render design tool can help avoid or reduce owner indecision and owner-caused delays, and decrease errors in orders (e.g., wrong materials ids and/or needed quantities, omissions, transcription errors, etc.). There is no need for users to repeatedly click through a large catalog of individual surfaces and materials (selections can be made with just one or a few clicks). In addition to reducing the overall effort and time to complete the building design process, the smart render design tool can also provide a digital footprint that manufacturers can use to plan their production timing and quantities and provide lead times for material availability. The system and methods described above to prepare separate schedules for each individual surface and/or a comprehensive scheduling for all surfaces at once.
An exemplary computing environment can be used to implement any of the processing described above. The computing environment may include one or more computers (such as designer's electronic device and client's electronic device), input/output devices, memories, processors (e.g., CPUs, microprocessors), displays with graphical user interfaces (GUIs), and the like, which allow the users to implement the present disclosure. Other peripheral devices (e.g., USB drives) may be connected to the computers to transfer information (e.g., files, documents, images, text, data, instructions, messages, etc.) to and from the computers. The system memories may include various non-transitory computer-readable media including program modules, data structures, application programs, operating systems, and other data for the computers, as known in the relevant art. The computers may operate in a networked environment using logical connections with each of the system components described above. Known network interfaces provide communication paths between the computers and allows for the methods described above to be performed.
While the disclosure has been described with reference to example embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted for elements thereof to adapt to particular situations without departing from the scope of the disclosure. Therefore, it is intended that the disclosure not be limited to the particular embodiments disclosed herein, but that the disclosure will include all embodiments falling within the scope and spirit of the appended claims. Since many possible embodiments of the disclosure may be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is also to be understood that all matters herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings are to be interpreted as illustrative and not limiting.
Claims
1. A smart render design tool comprising:
- a designer side plug-in including computer-executable instructions configured to enable a designer computing device to: generate credentials for a client and associate the credentials with a model for the client, add one or more camera views to the model, select one or more surfaces in the one or more camera views to add in the model, specify two or more different material options for the client for each selected surface of the one or more surfaces of the model, and publish the model including the two or more different material options for each selected surface of the one or more surfaces of the model specified by the designer for the client; and
- a client side portal associated with the credentials and the model, including computer-executable instructions configured to enable a client computing device to: access the published model using the generated credentials, view the two or more different material options for each surface of the one or more surfaces of the published model specified by the designer computing device for the client, select a desired material, from among the two or more different material options specified by the designer computing device for the client, for each surface of the one or more surfaces of the published model, save the desired material selected by the client computing device for each surface of the one or more surfaces of the published model in a first memory for display by the designer computing device via the designer side plug-in,
- wherein the designer side plug-in is further configured to enable the designer computing device to: synchronize the desired material selected and saved by the client computing device for each surface of the one or more surfaces in the model, and display updated camera views including the desired material selected and saved by the client computing device and synchronized in the model by the designer computing device.
2. The smart render design tool of claim 1, wherein the one or more camera views are selected from among a plurality of created 3D camera views corresponding to different areas of the model.
3. The smart render design tool of claim 1, wherein:
- the one or more surfaces are selected from among a plurality of surfaces in the model including walls, floors, countertops, cabinets or combinations thereof, and
- the one or more materials for each surface are selected from among a plurality of available materials including different paint colors, tile, stone, wood, laminate, finishes, textures, patterns or combinations thereof.
4. The smart render design tool of claim 1, wherein the client side portal is further configured to notify the designer computing device that the client computing device has saved the desired material selections via a pop-up notification in the designer side plug-in, an email message, a text (SMS) message or combinations thereof.
5. The smart render design tool of claim 1, wherein the designer side plug-in is further configured to:
- display on the designer computing device identity data including updated calculated values for dimensions and costs associated with the desired material selections saved by the client computing device for the one or more surfaces of the model.
6. The smart render design tool of claim 5, wherein
- the designer side plug-in is further configured to:
- generate and display on the designer computing device a shopping list, including quantities, itemized prices, total prices or combinations thereof for the desired material selected by the client computing device for each surface of the one or more surfaces, based on the updated calculated values for the dimensions and costs associated with the desired material selected for each surface of the one or more selected surfaces of the published model.
7. The smart render design tool of claim 1, wherein the designer side plug-in is further configured to enable the designer computing device to:
- edit the one or more surfaces of the model by selecting one or more new surfaces in the one or more camera views to add to the model, removing of one or more of the selected one or more surfaces in the model, or changing one or more of the specified two or more different material options for the selected one or more surfaces.
8. The smart render design tool of claim 1, wherein the designer side plug-in is implemented via a software add-in to an architectural design program that is stored in a second memory and executed by a processor of the designer computing device.
9. The smart render designer tool of claim 1, wherein the client side portal is implemented via a web-based program hosted on a website that is accessed by the client using a web browser on a computer or other electronic device of the client.
10. A method implemented via a smart render design tool, the method comprising:
- generating credentials for a client and associating the credentials with a model for the client;
- adding one or more camera views to the model;
- selecting one or more surfaces in the one or more camera views to add in the model;
- specifying two or more different material options for the client for each selected surface of the one or more surfaces of the model;
- publishing the model including the two or more different material options for each selected surface of the one or more surfaces of the model specified by the designer for the client;
- providing the client with access to the published model using the generated credentials;
- enabling the client to select a desired material from among the two or more different material options specified by the designer for the client, for each surface of the one or more surfaces of the published model; and
- enabling the client to save the desired material selected by the client for each surface of the one or more surfaces of the published model in a first memory for review by the designer.
11. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more camera views are selected from among a plurality of created 3D camera views corresponding to different areas of the model.
12. The method of claim 10, wherein:
- the one or more surfaces are selected from among a plurality of surfaces in the model including walls, floors, countertops, cabinets or combinations thereof, and
- the one or more materials for each surface are selected from among a plurality of available materials including different paint colors, tile, stone, wood, laminate, finishes, textures, patterns or combinations thereof.
13. The method of claim 10, further comprising:
- notifying the designer that the client has saved the desired material selections via a pop-up notification, an email message, a text (SMS) message or combinations thereof.
14. The method of claim 10, further comprising:
- displaying identity data including updated calculated dimensions and costs associated with the desired material selections saved by the client for the one or more surfaces of the published model.
15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:
- generating and displaying a shopping list, including quantities, itemized prices, total prices or combinations thereof for the desired material selected by the client for each surface of the one or more surfaces, based on the updated calculated values for the dimensions and costs associated with the desired material selected for each surface of the one or more selected surfaces of the published model.
16. The method of claim 10, further comprising:
- editing the one or more surfaces of the model by selecting one or more new surfaces in the one or more camera views to add to the model, removing one or more of the selected one or more surfaces in the model, or changing one or more of the specified two or more different material options for the selected one or more surfaces.
17. The smart render design tool of claim 8, wherein the first memory and the second memory are included in at least one of the designer computing device, the client computing device, or a remote server.
18. The smart render design tool of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more camera views is a digitally generated 3D view of the model.
19. A non-transitory computer readable medium having thereon computer executable instructions for executing a method utilizing a processor, the method comprising:
- generating credentials for a client and associating the credentials with a model for the client;
- adding one or more camera views to the model;
- selecting one or more surfaces in the one or more camera views to add in the model;
- specifying two or more different material options for the client for each selected surface of the one or more surfaces of the model;
- publishing the model including the two or more different material options for each selected surface of the one or more surfaces of the model specified by the designer for the client;
- providing the client with access to the published model using the generated credentials;
- enabling the client to select a desired material from among the two or more different material options specified by the designer for the client, for each surface of the one or more surfaces of the published model; and
- enabling the client to save the desired material selected by the client for each surface of the one or more surfaces of the published model in a first memory for review by the designer.
20. The non-transitory computer readable medium in accordance with claim 19, wherein the one or more camera views are selected from among a plurality of created 3D camera views corresponding to different areas of the model.
21. The non-transitory computer readable medium in accordance with claim 19, wherein:
- the one or more surfaces are selected from among a plurality of surfaces in the model including walls, floors, countertops, cabinets or combinations thereof, and
- the one or more materials for each surface are selected from among a plurality of available materials including different paint colors, tile, stone, wood, laminate, finishes, textures, patterns or combinations thereof.
22. The non-transitory computer readable medium in accordance with claim 19, further comprising:
- notifying the designer that the client has saved the desired material selections via a pop-up notification, an email message, a text (SMS) message or combinations thereof.
23. The non-transitory computer readable medium in accordance with claim 19, further comprising:
- displaying identity data including updated calculated dimensions and costs associated with the desired material selections saved by the client for the one or more surfaces of the published model.
24. The non-transitory computer readable medium in accordance with claim 23, further comprising:
- generating and displaying a shopping list, including quantities, itemized prices, total prices or combinations thereof for the desired material selected by the client for each surface of the one or more surfaces, based on the updated calculated values for the dimensions and costs associated with the desired material selected for each surface of the one or more selected surfaces of the published model.
25. The non-transitory computer readable medium in accordance with claim 19, further comprising:
- editing the one or more surfaces of the model by selecting one or more new surfaces in the one or more camera views to add to the model, removing one or more of the selected one or more surfaces in the model, or changing one or more of the specified two or more different material options for the selected one or more surfaces.
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Type: Grant
Filed: Dec 8, 2021
Date of Patent: Mar 14, 2023
Assignee: Tiver Built LLC (Rochester, NY)
Inventor: Lindsay Prichard-Fox (Rochester, NY)
Primary Examiner: Iftekhar A Khan
Application Number: 17/545,585
International Classification: G06F 30/13 (20200101); G06F 9/445 (20180101); G06F 30/12 (20200101); G06Q 30/06 (20120101); G06T 19/20 (20110101); G06Q 30/0601 (20230101);